


Will you date my daddy? <3

by Sharia_Kags4



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Disney World & Disneyland, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 06:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17320016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharia_Kags4/pseuds/Sharia_Kags4
Summary: TheLittlePrinceFicFest Prompt #190. Kyungsoo didn't want to get involved in his student's life. But he was glad he did.





	Will you date my daddy? <3

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank my Beta, Hikariisjaejj, for going through this process with me, especially when I had writers block and couldn't think of anything to write. She was an angel and none of this would be possible without her. I had a fun time writing this as I had several ideas of how to write this, and I might end up writing on of them as a sequel. I hope you like it.

There was something about kids that made Kyungsoo love teaching. Although most would argue that dealing with six year olds was similar to handling toddlers; unable to stay clean the whole day, having toilet related accidents, putting a lot of unsanitary items in their mouths, unnecessary crying, fighting over toys and so on. But Kyungsoo thought of it as an everyday adventure. Something new was always happening; and though he would be worn out most days when school ended, it was always with a smile.

That’s why on the first day of school for the second semester, contrary to popular belief, his smile was genuine. He stood by the door, welcoming back his students with a smile, and an occasional greeting to the worn out parents who were glad school started again.

When the bell rang at eight, he closed the door and walked in. Looking around the classroom he saw thirty-two 6-7 year olds looking at him while they stood around aimlessly. He paused. Maybe he forgot to tell them that he’d change their seating arrangement.

“Welcome back,” he said, giving them a small smile. “I changed your desks, so we can make new friends. I have your seats marked with your nametag, so if everyone can find their correct desk, then you all get a treat.” 

There was no hesitation as all the students scurried to find the right seat. There were some arguing about whose seat was whose as there were some same names in the class. Not to mention a little pouting from some students when they weren’t seated next to their friend.

Once everyone was seated, Kyungsoo sat at his desk. “I’m going to take attendance, and when I’m done, I‘ll tell you if everyone is in the correct seat or not.”

Looking around the room, he smiled at them before opening his binder and going through the seating chart. He called out their names and marked a star when they replied. Just as he finished the list, he sighed. He looked up at his students with a sad look on his face. 

“Well, you all did find your correct seats, but….” he trailed off, knowing that the suspense would get kids even more dejected. “But, you can’t get the treat until lunch. It’s too early for a snack anyway. You all just ate breakfast. Your bellies will be so big!” 

As he talked, he moved his arms in a circular motion until his hands touched, making it seem as though he was holding an invisible ball against his stomach. His actions made the class giggle, and luckily, no one objected.

When everyone quieted down, and Kyungsoo was about to start activities, a tentative knock came from the door. Walking over, he opened the door and saw no one. Until he looked down and saw a little girl standing there. 

Looking around outside, he frowned when he didn’t see anyone around.

“Hi, Jiwon,” he greeted, smiling. “You’re a bit late, but that’s fine. I changed desks over the break. Yours is next to Jiyoung.”

Jiwon nodded and headed towards her friend. Kyungsoo did his best to change the desks so that everyone could make new friends, but he had a soft spot for Jiwon. She was so shy that Kyungsoo was surprised when she ran and started squealing to Jiyoung after the first month of silent nods. 

“Now that everyone is here, why don’t we start getting to know your group?” Kyungsoo asked. The tables were arranged in groups of four, and he did his best to make it even, boy girl boy girl. “Introduce yourselves and tell each other your favorite thing you did this summer.”

He smiled and gestured with his hands for them to start, and once they did, he went back over to his desk to start on the next activity. Pulling out a stack of white paper, he passed them out to everyone. When he finished, he rang the bell he kept on his desk to get everyone’s attention. 

“I passed out some papers to everyone. Now, I would like it if you wrote about something that happened over the summer and you’d like me to know. You don’t have to share it with your friends, it’ll be completely secret. The only people who will know what’s on there is you and me. Don’t even write your name on it unless you want me to talk to you about it, or share it with the class. Start the sentence with ‘I wish Teacher Kyungsoo knew that…’ and finish it. When you’re done, fold it in half and put it in the Turn In bucket. After that, we’ll have some Music Time,” Kyungsoo said, smiling at everyone. “You may begin.”

He started walking around, making sure everyone was doing their work. After several scoldings about how it was supposed to be a secret, Kyungsoo went back to his desk to get ready for the next activity.

~

The bell rang and Kyungsoo said bye to his students as they rushed out; wanting to hurry home to catch the latest episode of their favorite show, or to relax before school started the next day. 

There were still several students left in his class, their parents most likely stuck in traffic. After half an hour, all his students had left. Except for one. He frowned when he saw Jiwon quietly reading a book in the reading area. 

“Jiwon, is your driver going to be here soon?” Kyungsoo asked, knowing that she was usually picked up by her father’s driver. 

Jiwon looked up and shook her head. “Dad said he’d pick me up today,” she replied quietly. 

Kyungsoo glanced at the clock, 4:47. 

“Do you know what time your dad gets out of work?”

“Dad gets home late. After dinner. But he promised that he’d leave early to pick me up.”

“Do you want to try calling him?” Kyungsoo asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Do you remember his number?”

Jiwon nodded and told Kyungsoo, who diligently typed it into his phone. Pressing the call button, he lifted his phone to his ear and listened to the phone ring. 

He frowned when the call went to voicemail after the second ring. No way was that man’s ringtone only two rings. Kyungsoo called back, and this time the phone barely rang once before the call ended.

“I think he’s a bit busy right now,” Kyungsoo said, kneeling down so he could look Jiwon in the eye. “Why don’t we wait until it’s 5, and if he’s still not here, I’ll take you home, alright?”

Jiwon didn’t look surprised, but Kyungsoo could see that she was sad. 

“Nothing’s changed since then?” he asked softly, patting her head. 

She didn’t answer, but walked over to the Turn In bucket, where she went through several papers until she found hers. Jiwon then unfolded it and handed it to Kyungsoo without looking at him.

“I hope Teacher Kyungsoo knows that I’m always home alone,” she said, repeating what she had written on the paper. 

Kyungsoo felt his heart break, feeling sad for his student. He knew how it felt to be alone. Though he didn’t grow up in a house by himself, rather, his parents always ignored him. He wasn’t good enough, as they stated. They preferred his brother, Seungsoo instead, as it was better received to brag about the athletic valedictorian. He was the perfect son. 

Kyungsoo on the other hand, was average. Straight B’s with the occasional A or two. He also joined choir instead of a sport, like his older brother. He joined a girl club, they said, it won’t get you anywhere. But he didn’t have good hand-eye coordination, and was almost always tripping over nothing. Sure he could have practiced until he was better at it, but what was the point? When he’d still be compared to Seungsoo. After ignoring their complaints long enough, they gave up and just acted like he didn’t exist. 

However, karma seemed to hit them as Seungsoo, who their parents hoped would be a doctor or lawyer one day, decided to be a pilot. 

I went parachuting with my friends once. The feeling of being in the air exhilarates me. I never want to stop feeling that.

“Grab your backpack Jiwon,” he said, grabbing his paperwork and putting them in his binder. She did so, slipping it on her shoulders and following her teacher to the door. He turned off the lights and locked the room. 

~

“Is the key still in the same place?” Kyungsoo asked, nodding at the doorman. 

Jiwon nodded and pressed the button and took a step back to wait for the elevator to arrive. The teacher sighed, knowing that he shouldn’t get too involved in his student’s lives, but he couldn’t help it. 

Her dad was always going on business trips and meetings, and more often than not, forgetting about his daughter. And the driver who always dropped off Jiwon in the morning was usually sent to do errands for his employer. Not that it should be any surprise to Kyungsoo. After all, Kim Jongin is the CEO of a rising fashion company. So every now and then, and too often in Kyungsoo’s opinion, he would take Jiwon home and keep her company until her dad arrived. But if her dad didn’t, he would have to ask the neighbors, a famous singer named Byun Baekhyun and his rapper boyfriend Park Chanyeol to watch her for the night as it would be inappropriate for him to watch her overnight. Not to mention that he felt uncomfortable staying over someone’s house without their permission.

The elevator dinged and the two stepped in. Jiwon pressed the 12th floor. At first Kyungsoo wondered why such a fancy building for high ranking people only had 15 stories. His question was soon answered when he walked into their apartment. The owner decided for width, rather than height. Each apartment was basically a house itself. Kyungsoo found after looking it up online, that each apartment had three rooms each, two full baths, a large living room, an entertainment room, and a kitchen so nice that it would make Gordon Ramsay cry. Not to mention the balcony that wrapped around the entire building, it being landscaped to look like a backyard. 

They turned to the right, as the left was Baekhyun’s house. Kyungsoo reached up and felt on top of the door frame, moving his fingers until his hands touched a cold key. 

He took it down and unlocked the door before placing the key back in it’s spot.

“In you go Jiwon,” Kyungsoo said, ushering her in. He took off his shoes and waited for Jiwon to put hers away in the shoe closet by the door. When she finished, she ran to her room to change into something more comfortable. 

The teacher sighed, knowing he had wasted too much time in watching her. It was out of the goodness of his heart, but he was becoming too attached..

While the girl was gone Kyungsoo headed into the kitchen to whip up dinner for her, and most likely the neighbors as well. He started to get out his ingredients to make kimchi spaghetti when Jiwon came back out.

“Would you like to do your homework now? Or watch T.V for half an hour and then do it?” Kyungsoo asked, washing his hands. 

“Now,” she replied, putting her homework packet on the kitchen table. 

“Remember, if you need help, feel free to ask.” 

He hummed along to a song as he cooked, making sure to watch Jiwon every now and then. It wasn’t long before she finished, and handed it to Kyungsoo for him to check. 

“Teacher Kyungsoo, do you have a mommy?” Jiwon asked.

Kyungsoo paused, not sure where this conversation would lead them.

“Yes,” he replied slowly. “Why do you ask?”

“I always see the other kids’ mommies pick them up, but I don’t have a mommy. Why is that?” She looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, making him feel uneasy.

“Not everyone has a mommy. And there are people who don’t have a daddy. Some people don’t have both. But the reason why you don’t have a mommy is something you need to ask your dad,” Kyungsoo answered, making sure to choose his words wisely.

“What do mommies do?”

“They cook food, they take care of the kids, they clean, and they love, with all their heart,” Kyungsoo replied. “But, the same goes for daddies. They can do the same thing, but it’s usually mommies.”

Jiwon paused, thinking. “Can boys be mommies too?”

Taken aback by her question, he blurted out yes before he realized what might happen next.

“Are you my mommy?” Jiwon asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

Kyungsoo choked, wondering what was going through the child’s mind.

“What?” he asked.

“You cook food for me, you clean when I make a mess, and you always take care of me when daddy doesn’t. So you’re my mommy!” she exclaimed, looking very happy.

“I’m not your mommy, Jiwon. I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo said softly. He knelt down when he saw that her face broke down, tears threatening to spill down her face. “Being a mommy is much harder than what I said. It takes a lot to be a mommy, and some of it is too much for such a little girl to understand.”

She nodded sadly and didn’t resist when Kyungsoo pulled her in for a hug. “If you promise to stop crying, I’ll let you eat some ice cream at Uncle Baekhyun’s house.”

She nodded before heading towards the living room, where she aimlessly watched Pororo.

Kyungsoo sighed as he realized he would need to have a talk with her dad. He was definitely not prepared to teach such a big thing to a child.

By the time he finished cooking it was almost 7. 

Kyungsoo fixed a plate to be left aside, if Kim Jongin ever did come home. He called Jiwon and told her to get her sleepover things ready as he got the food ready. He made sure everything was off before they both headed over to Baekhyun’s house. 

Jiwon pressed on the doorbell and they waited. 

When the door opened they both had to crane their necks upward to look at Chanyeol in the face.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked, his deep voice booming down the hall.

“Dinner,” Kyungsoo said, walking in after Jiwon when he let them in.

“Baekhyun! Kyungsoo’s here with Jiwon and dinner,” Chanyeol called out, waiting patiently while they took off their shoes.

“Ooooh! Come in, come in!” Baekhyun squealed. His face appeared at the end of the hallway and he ushered them in. “Hi Jiwon! I see you have your backpack. Are you here for a sleepover again?”

Jiwon nodded and ran to the guest room, which was subtly set up just for her. When guests came over, Baekhyun would claim that it was for any future children he might have, knowing that it would be better to save face than start rumors.

“Hey, Soo? She can’t stay here tonight,” Baekhyun said, a worried look on his face.

“What? What do you mean?” Kyungsoo asked, panicking. 

“Yeol and I have a world tour, starting tomorrow. We’re leaving at like, 2 in the morning,” Baekhyun replied. “So you should try calling her dad, otherwise there’s no one to watch her for the night.”

“How often has her dad been home this week?” Kyungsoo asked, his voice low.

“I’ve seen him twice when he came home after midnight. But other than that I can’t be sure,’ Baekhyun replied. 

“And Jiwon?”

“She’s been here all week. Jongin doesn’t even come by anymore to see if she’s here or not,” Chanyeol scoffed. 

“Yeah. Jiwon said her dad’s supposed to pick her up today, so her driver didn’t come. And I’m not sure how much he’s telling her about her family situation. She asked me about moms earlier. She asked if I’m her mom,” Kyungsoo said. 

The other two burst out laughing at Kyungsoo’s scandalized face.

“Sorry Soo, but, you kind of are,” Chanyeol said, sitting down. “I mean, you take care of her like one.” 

“But I’m not. I don’t want her coming to school one day telling everyone I’m her mom. What do you think her dad will think?” Kyungsoo sighed. “I don’t need another angry parent yelling at me.”

“He’s the one who needs to get yelled at,” Chanyeol muttered. “Jiwon! Come eat dinner.”

“Eat first. I’m gonna try calling her dad,” Kyungsoo said, walking to the balcony/backyard. 

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up.”

~

“Teacher Kyungsoo, why can’t I stay with Uncle Baek?” Jiwon asked as they walked back into her house.

“Uncle Baekhyun has to leave early for work. So you can’t stay with him tonight,” Kyungsoo replied. He glanced at the clock. “Why don’t you go brush your teeth and change into your PJ’s.”

When she ran off to the bathroom, Kyungsoo pulled out his phone to see if Kim Jongin tried contacting him at all. He sighed when there wasn’t any missed calls or texts. He walked over to her room and sat in the rocking chair. It didn’t take long for Jiwon to walk in and choose a book for Kyungsoo to read. She got into bed and pulled the blankets over her.

Kyungsoo only got halfway through the book when a soft snore interrupted him. He looked over and saw Jiwon sleeping. He quietly tucked her in and placed the book back. He turned on the nightlight and left, closing the door almost all the way. 

He went into the living room and tried to call the dad once more, only to no avail. 

Thinking of his situation made him question his life. He did feel like a mom, who was waiting for her husband to come home from work 

He lied down, trying to get comfortable on the couch. He didn’t feel like he would be able to sleep in the extra room, so he settled. He checked his phone once more and tried to fall asleep.

~

Kyungsoo groaned and blinked when he felt something poking him hard in the stomach. 

“Who are you?” a harsh voice asked. 

Hearing a voice that wasn’t Jiwon’s startled him into full consciousness. Sitting up quickly, he looked around trying to see what was going on. In front of him stood a tall, tan man, with thick lips, an unreadable gaze, and a sharp jawline; Kyungsoo wouldn’t be surprised if he was a model.

“I’m Kyungsoo,” he replied slowly. “Who are you?”

“I’m Kim Jongin. What are you doing in my house?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to come so I can go home,” Kyungsoo replied. He glanced at the clock and realized it was nearly three in the morning. “I’m Jiwon’s teacher.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. What are you doing in my house?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be here if a certain someone kept their promise and picked up their daughter. Or if you came home in a timely manner so that I wouldn’t have to stay the night since your neighbors have work,” Kyungsoo replied, raising an eyebrow.

“What are you saying?” Jongin spat out, looking at the shorter with a hateful look.

“I’m saying take care of your daughter. She already doesn’t have a mother. The last thing she needs is the lack of a father as well,” Kyungsoo replied.

“Don’t act like you know what you’re talking about,” the man said, his voice getting louder. “You don’t know what it’s like trying to raise a daughter.”

“That’s ironic since it seems like I’m raising your daughter,” Kyungsoo spat. “And you’re making it seem like it’s difficult with a job like yours. You have money, hire a babysitter, a nanny or something. Don’t just leave your daughter alone, thinking that everyone will help, because not everyone is that nice.”

“I am busy with work! I’m working so I can support her! So she can have a nice life and grow up without any troubles!” Jongin yelled.

“What life is that nice without any parental figure? With Jiwon not even knowing what a mom is?? With her asking if I’m her mom because I take care of her, cook for her? With her telling me that she’s always home alone?” Kyungsoo said, his voice low. 

By this point, they were both glaring at each other, neither of them backing down.

“Daddy?” 

They turned to see Jiwon standing at the end of the hallway, staring at the two of them.

“Are you home?” she asked. 

“Yes, now go back to bed, it’s late,” Jongin said, not wanting to continue the conversation in front of her.

“But I want to spend time with you,” Jiwon said, a smile on her face. “I never see you anymore.”

“Later. It is late. Go back to bed,” he said, his eye ticking. He was already mad, and her not obeying him made him even more ticked off.

“But-”

“I SAID NO! GET BACK TO BED. RIGHT NOW,” he yelled, the stress getting to him. He just wanted to go home and have a decent sleep for once, but he found himself having an argument with a stranger in his home. He already had a horrible day at work where nothing was going right, and now even his own daughter wasn’t listening to him. His chest was heaving at having to yell in his exhausted state as his face showed his annoyance to the situation. It quickly dropped when he heard her crying.

Kyungsoo stared as he watched the exchange. Jiwon crying and Jongin not knowing what to do as he stood there, not knowing if it was right of him too interfere.

“Jiwon,” Jongin said uncertainly. “I’m sorry. Come here.”

He knelt down and opened his arms, expecting her to run to him as she forgave him. Which was why he was surprised when she ran to Kyungsoo. She clung to him and raised her arms up, asking him to hold her while she cried. 

His arms went down and he picked her up automatically, wiping away her tears and reaching into his pocket to pull out a tissue for her to wipe her running nose. Kyungsoo ignored Jongin’s look of disbelief, and comforted the little girl. He hummed quietly and patted her back. It didn’t take long for her to quiet down, with an occasional sniffle. 

It was then that he turned to Jongin.

“I know your story about the custody battle over Jiwon. Everyone knows it. You claimed that she needed a parent with her, not someone who’s never at home going halfway across the world for weeks at a time doing whatever. How is that situation different than this?” Kyungsoo asked quietly. He walked over to him and handed back his daughter. “I’m going home now Jiwon. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that, he left, leaving behind a still sniffling little girl and her shocked father. 

~

When Kyungsoo walked to the classroom the next day, he was surprised to see Jiwon already there. With her dad.

“Can I help you with something?” he asked, opening the door to the room. He stepped inside and turned on the lights. 

“I would like to have a word with you,” Jongin said. “Go read a book Jiwon.”

His daughter ran off to the little library section in the corner and looked around, trying to find one she could read. The two watched her until Jongin turned to face him again.

Kyungsoo expected the dad to say something to him, but he merely stared at him. It went on a bit longer than he liked, making him blush at the the attention. 

“What did you want to talk about?” Kyungsoo asked quietly, looking away from the taller male. 

The dad looked away, rubbing his neck as if he was embarrassed. He opened his mouth several times, only to close it right after. 

“Here,” he muttered, taking a letter from inside his coat pocket and placing it in his hand. “I’m leaving now. Bye Jiwon. Be good.”

Jiwon looked up to watch her dad walk out the door. 

“Were you alright yesterday?” Kyungsoo asked. “Were you able to go back to sleep?”

“It was a little hard. But dad let me sleep with him,” Jiwon said, smiling at him.

“Keep reading, alright? I have some paperwork to do,” Kyungsoo said, walking back to his desk. He sat down and stared at the letter, turning it in his hands before opening it. 

He unfolded it and began reading.

To whom it may concern,

I would like to apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you. However, I have to inform you that this may happen again for a short period. Due to the nature of my reputation, difficulties have arisen with finding a caretaker for Jiwon, such as blackmail, the start of rumors and or gossip, as well as threats to my daughter. For the next two weeks, my assistant will start going through an extensive background check for a caretaker for Jiwon. During that time, I can make no promises as to whether or not I may need your help to take care of her for at most an hour after school ends. If this is an inconvenience, please call my assistant, Kim Minseok, to inform him of your answer. I would also like to set up a meeting with you to finish our previous conversation in detail. I have had my assistant clear my schedule this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. I hope you will contact me shortly.

Regards,  
Kim Jongin

XXX-XXX-XXXX is my assistants number.

 

Kyungsoo breathed out a sigh of relief. Though he did love spending time with Jiwon, he was happy to finally have her being taken care of. He looked up to see Jiwon talking to Chaerin, a rather flamboyant child. He looked at the clock and realized that class was starting in ten minutes, and half the class were already present. Seeing her talk so animatedly about fashion with the other girl, he felt happy to see her break out of her shell.

~

“Hey Kyung, you ready to go?” Jongdae asked, poking his head in his classroom.

“Yeah, Jiwon just got picked up,” Kyungsoo replied, pulling his satchel over his shoulder. He grabbed his keys and walked out, turning off the lights and locking the door before heading into the parking lot with his friend.

“Wait a minute. She got picked up?” Jongdae asked, shocked. “By the driver?”

“Yeah. I know, right? I’ll tell you the whole story when we’re with the others,” Kyungsoo said, unlocking his car. 

It was quite nice, being able to work with his friend. Don’t get him wrong, he made other friends when he first started, but it was nice knowing at least one person there. They first met in college when they fought over who would take the last case of Red Bull. The two stuck together after that, realizing that they were both in the same major.

“Rock paper scissors for DD tonight?” Jongdae asked, holding out his hand. 

“No way. You are definitely DD tonight. I got a letter from CEO Kim this morning. He wants to have a meeting on Saturday,” Kyungsoo said, shuddering at the thought of having to meet the CEO.

“Are you freaking serious?” Jongdae yelled, making Kyungsoo jump in his seat, swerving to his right on accident.

“Sorry,” Kyungsoo called out, as the car behind him honked. “And yes. I kind of yelled at him last night about not being a good dad. And now he wants to meet me and I’m going to die. If you need proof that I was at his company and I died, I’ll leave the letter on my desk.”

“Damn. Good thing we have that meeting tomorrow right? Now you can get hammered and not have to pretend you’re sick in front of the kids again,” Jongdae chuckled. “Who’s subbing for you anyway? I have Jiyoung.”

“Jackson. I requested him since the kids liked him so much last time,” Kyungsoo answered, pulling into the parking lot of their go to bar. “The others here yet?”

“Kris is,” Jongdae answered.

“Dude. He fucking owns the bar. Of course he’s already here!”

“You asked,” Jongdae said, running out the car before Kyungsoo could hit him.

Kyungsoo sighed as he parked the car and took out the letter. He stared at the number scrawled at the bottom of the page before slowly entering it to into his phone. 

“Hello? Kim Minseok speaking,” the voice answered.

“Hi, this is Do Kyungsoo. I’d like to confirm the meeting for Saturday at 2.”

~

Kyungsoo shifted uncomfortably when the receptionist asked him for his ID card. He knew it was for security reasons, but he still felt uncomfortable knowing other people would have his ID. 

“Thank you sir. Here’s your ID back, and the elevators are to the left. 18th floor,” she said, handing him back his card. 

He thanked her while putting the card back into his wallet. He walked over and pushed the button, waiting for the elevator to arrive. He pressed the button when the elevator arrived, a bit relieved when he no one else was inside. Kyungsoo jolted when the elevators basically shot off the ground, making him grasp at the handlebars to regain his balance. 

He barely had time to think about whether he was dressed appropriately for a fashion office when the door opened. Gulping, he stepped out of the elevator and was soon met with a rush of workers bustling about, fabric flying after them, and others yelling about color schemes. 

Kyungsoo looked around and saw someone sitting behind a desk. Hoping that they could point him in the right direction, he took a step forward, only to have someone run up to him. 

“Do Kyungsoo?” he asked. 

In his daze, Kyungsoo said the only thing that came to his mind. “Baozi?”

“You sound like my boyfriend,” the man muttered. “Damn Jongdae.”

“Jongdae’s my friend, well, roommate. Are you Xiumin?” Kyungsoo frowned, not sure if he was correct or not. “He’s been talking about seeing someone named Xiumin that reminds him of baozis.”

“Well, who would’ve thought,” the man chuckled. “My name’s actually Minseok, but he thinks that Xiumin fits me more. And you’re the kindergarten teacher with a student who has a bastard...dad…”

He trailed off, realizing where this was going. 

“Are you talking about…?”

“Yeah. He wanted to have a meeting. The last time I saw him...I wasn’t as nice as I am to you,” Kyungsoo said, knowing it would be wise to not reveal anything.

“Well, if you follow me,” Minseok said, walking to the left. 

Kyungsoo trailed after him, looking around with interest. What mainly caught his attention was the way there were several mannequins lined up against the wall in a glass frame, as if they were artifacts in the museum.

“Those are Jongin’s original pieces, the ones that got his name out in the fashion industry,” Minseok explained, noticing where the other’s attention was. “He put them up to remind everyone that even the smallest nobody can end up somewhere.”

Kyungsoo nodded and tore his gaze away to look forward, only to bump into a person who had their nose buried in a stack of papers.

“Oh, sorry,” he muttered, stepping around him.

“WAIT!” the other shouted, grabbing onto Kyungsoo’s arm. “Are you the new model? We’ve been waiting nearly an hour-”

“Luhan,” Minseok said, “this is Mr. Kim’s 2 o’clock appointment. He’s not a model.”

“Oh.” The man, Luhan, let go of Kyungsoo’s arm. “Sorry. It’s just that, you’re obviously really cute, so I thought that you were the replacement model we requested. And you look like the right size for the clothes. I mean, sending someone that’s 188 cm when we asked for 178 or shorter. He even insisted on trying it on. The sweater became a crop top and the pants were capris on him.”

“Um, thank you?” Kyungsoo replied uncertainly. He was being complimented, but he didn’t think that he deserved it. He was just average of course. Nothing like the rest of the people on the floor.

“I mean, just look at you! The light blue jeans that accentuate your thick thighs, and the light pink, oversized sweater which shows off your tiny frame. The gray beanie that contrasts with your dark hair and the glasses! They add a finishing touch that just makes your look scream innocent!” Luhan squealed. “Can I take some pictures of you? I’ve been trying to get the innocent look down for the fall season, but I can’t get it right, but YOU-”

“What’s going on?” 

The three of them turned to see Jongin walking towards them, a frown on his face. 

“I was just showing Kyungsoo to your office for his appointment,” Minseok replied once Jongin was standing with them. 

“And why was it taking so long?”

“Because Kyungsoo agreed to do a photoshoot with me,” Luhan said. “And since your schedule is cleared for the day, I hope you don’t mind that I’m stealing him for an hour!”

He grabbed Kyungsoo’s arm and tried to drag him away to the photoshoot area, only to stop when he realized that the other man wasn’t moving. He looked back and saw his boss holding onto Kyungsoo’s other arm, stopping them from moving away from the spot. 

Luhan frowned and tugged again, only for Jongin to tug back. They both stared at each other before simultaneously pulling Kyungsoo towards themselves. The small man let out a whimper at the tight grip the two men had on him. When the two men continued to fight over him, Kyungsoo realized what it felt like to be the toy two kids would fight over. 

Growing tired of their childish behavior, Kyungsoo raised his arms and threw them down, surprising them and effectively making them let go of him.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Kyungsoo asked, looking at both of them, a frown on his face. “I am not a damn toy you can fight over! I can make my own decisions. I am a grown adult and I should not have to teach two grown ass men to have a conversation to come to an agreement. And I do not appreciate being pulled every damn way so you can keep me to yourselves! Like, who the fuck even does that now a days? My life is not a fucking korean drama, alright? Not to mention that what just happened is highly inappropriate Mr. Kim. You are the boss, and he is your subordinate, no? Then grow some damn balls-”

“Teacher Kyungsoo!”

“Jiwon!” Kyungsoo turned and smiled at the little girl who ran up to him for a hug. “What were you doing?”

Minseok raised an eyebrow in amusement. The little girl flipped a switch in Kyungsoo, who was no longer the man cussing two seconds ago. He spoke quietly, and had a smile on his face, rather than the frown he had. 

“I was eating a snack in daddy’s office, and I heard your voice! So I came out to say hi,” she replied, looking every bit as happy to see him as he was to see her. “What are you doing here? I thinked I only see you during school and after school.”

“You thought. No thinked. Thought. And you’re right. But your dad asked me to come here so we can have a talk. Is that alright?” He looked at her reaction, a bit happy to see her smiling so bright.

“Yes!” she squealed.

Kyungsoo picked her up and rested her on his hip before turning to the dad. As he did so, there was a flash of light, making him blink.

“Sorry,” Luhan whispered, a camera in his hands. He was too preoccupied looking at the picture to see Kyungsoo’s disapproving glare, but he seemed to like the result as he smiled.

Kyungsoo’s question of where the camera came from was answered when he saw someone look over Luhan’s shoulder to look at the picture as well. Shaking his head, he turned back to Jongin.

“The meeting?”

“Of course, if you’ll follow me,” he replied, leading the shorter man to his office. They continued down the hall and entered the last office. It had a simple design with Jongin’s desk near the back window with a couch and two chairs pushed against the right wall and a coffee table around it.

“Please take a seat,” Jongin said, gesturing towards the couch. 

Kyungsoo nodded and put Jiwon down, letting her run around while he sat down, rubbing his hands nervously on his knees. Jongin sat down across from him, and didn’t fail to notice the nervous look on the other’s face.

“Kyungsoo, I would like to apologize for my behavior the other night,” he started, choosing his words carefully. “I admit that I was in the wrong for yelling at you when you were only trying to help me.”

“I understand. And I accept your apology as well. Your house is most likely your safe place from work, and for you to come home and see a stranger in your house must have triggered you,” Kyungsoo said. “I’m sorry for trespassing your home as well.”

“I’m actually going to thank you for that,” Jongin said, a smile on his face. “Without you, no one would have been taking care of my Jiwon. Which is why I invited you here today.”

“Mr. Kim, I know that your work hours are to help provide for Jiwon, but you must consider that she needs her father as well. She already has no mother figure in her life, so she needs you more than ever. There is also the fact that she doesn’t understand why she doesn’t have a mother, which I agree if you should wait until she’s older before you tell her why. But if she’s asking me, her teacher, why she doesn’t have one, that should make you think over how much you two communicate,” Kyungsoo said. He looked Jongin straight in the eye as he spoke, making sure the other understood the importance of his words.

“I understand that. That is why I invited you here to inform you that I have spoken with Jiwon and she understands now,” Jongin said softly, looking at her with a soft gaze. He turned back to the teacher and cleared his throat. “My assistant and I have also been looking at potential candidates to become Jiwon’s new nanny. And since you’re so close to Jiwon, I’d like it if you were also a part of the application and interview process.”

“I’d-I’d like that very much. Thank you,” Kyungsoo said softly, a bit surprised. 

“We contacted an agency known for their high profile clients. But I’m still wary about their workers. You can never be too safe,” Jongin said, leaning back in his seat. “And that is where you come in. I’d like it if you were there for the interview process for the candidates that we’ve chosen. You’re quite close to Jiwon, so it would make sense that you have a say.”

“And you’ve told Jiwon about this?” Kyungsoo asked, looking over to see the little girl playing dress up in the corner. She had a box of clothes at her feet, most of which were pink and frilly.

“I was kinda hoping you would?” Jongin replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kyungsoo muttered something about being useless as he leaned against the couch. 

“Jiwon, can you come here please?” 

The little girl walked over, acting like a model as she stopped and did several poses, making the two adults clap for her. 

“Jiwon, I need to talk to you about some changes that are going to happen,” Kyungsoo said as she sat on her dad’s lap. “You’re going to have a nanny now. Which means that I won’t be taking care of you after school anymore.”

“What’s a nanny?” Jiwon asked. 

“A nanny is like a babysitter. Except she’s going to live with us. Kinda like an older sister,” Jongin chimed in. 

“I’m going to have an older sister?” Jiwon was excited about that idea. 

“Something similar to that. She’s going to be taking care of you and stuff. Which means that she’ll pick you up, feed you, put you to bed,” Kyungsoo said, smiling softly at her.

“But that’s your job.” Jiwon frowned. Her excitement started to fade as she realized that her Teacher Kyungsoo wouldn’t be around anymore. “Are you going away?”

“No. My job is to teach you at school. So after you get picked up when school ends, your nanny will take care of you. That’s what she’s there for,” Kyungsoo said. “She’ll take care of you from now on.”

“Bu-but I want you to take care of me!” Jiwon started sobbing, tears streaming down her face. “You-you’re supposed to take care of me! You can’t leave!”

Kyungsoo paused. He had never been the reason for Jiwon’s tears before. Last time, he knew what the problem was and was able to comfort her. This time the problem was him, and he didn’t know what to do to make her stop crying. To make it worse, Jongin didn’t know what to do either. He was looking at him to make her stop.

“How about this?” Minseok said, standing in the doorway. “Next Saturday, you get to spend all day with Kyungsoo? And your dad?”

“All-all day?” Jiwon sniffed, quieting down when she saw him. When he nodded, she asked, “doing what?”

“Anything you want,” Kyungsoo said, thinking that it was a good idea. “Amusement park, the beach, anything you want.”

“Really?” She turned to her dad. “You’re coming too?”

Jongin paused and turned to Minseok. “Reschedule everything for me?”

“Already getting started on it.”

“Yeah. Me too,” he said, although he was looking at Kyungsoo, who had started talking to Minseok, as he tapped away on his laptop. He hugged Jiwon to his chest .“We’ll be spending a lot of time together.”

~

“Wait, what?” Jongdae was splayed across his couch, looking like a slob with empty wrappers and cans laying on the floor beside him.

“I’m not repeating myself,” Kyungsoo sighed. “I told you before, didn’t I?”

“Well I’m still hungover,” Jongdae groaned. “And I can’t comprehend what’s coming out of your mouth.”

“I’m apparently getting a paid vacation, courtesy of CEO Kim,” Kyungsoo said. “And I’m helping with the interview process. That reminds me, I met your boyfriend there. He seems nice. Don’t know why he’s with you. How did you meet again?”

“I was in a coffee shop and I was about to leave with my cup in hand. Then I sneezed hard enough to headbang into Xiumin’s head which was low since he was texting on his phone. And my coffee splashed on both of our faces,” Jongdae answered. “Then we bonded as we sat in the emergency room in the hospital.”

“That’s-that’s….I don’t even know what to say,” Kyungsoo said, opening the fridge. “You should invite him over sometime. I’ll make dinner.”

“Nah. I don’t want you guys to meet each other yet. You’ll just team up on me.”

“That’s too bad. For you, at least. I already invited him. He’s coming over when he gets off of work. So you should probably start cleaning,” he said nonchalantly. He ignored the thud from Jongdae who fell in shock. 

“WHAT?” 

“I don’t repeat myself. You should probably take a shower. Or clean the apartment. Probably both. He doesn’t seem like the type to be impressed by your current state right now,” Kyungsoo said, pulling out the cutting board. 

“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME SOONER?” 

“Um, because it’s fun to see you freak out and you work better under pressure. Remember that one college party? You cleaned your entire house in like, an hour. And you know how bad that house was,” Kyungsoo scoffed. “Now hurry up and get ready. I’ll need help with cooking as well.”

~

Kyungsoo had just finished dinner when the doorbell rang. Wiping his hands on a rag, he called out for Jongdae to open the door. He waited until Jondae confirmed then he went into his own room to change his clothes. He opted for a gray t-shirt with a plaid flannel and some jeans. When he walked out of his room, he paused and stared at the front door. Then he slowly walked back, thankfully unnoticed by the guests. 

He opened his drawers and searched for different clothes, wondering if he’d have enough time to change for -

“KYUNGSOO! Where ya at?” Jongdae called out, making him curse. He sighed as he closed his drawer and walked back out.

“Mr. Kim? Jiwon? What are you doing here?” he asked, pretending to be surprised. “Are you here to drop off Minseok?”

Jiwon, however, had other plans than small talk as she ran over to him and hugged his leg. 

“Teacher Kyungsoo!” she squealed, laughing as he picked her up and spun in a circle. He placed her on his hip and turned toward her father who answered his question.

“Well, Jiwon heard you invited Minseok to dinner. And she really wanted to come. I hope you don’t mind,” Jongin said. “And please, call me by my first name. After all, I’m not your boss.”

“Alright then,” Kyungsoo agreed. “And all guests are welcome. Thankfully, I made a lot of food. Hopefully it will be to your liking.”

“I’m sure it will. After all, you did leave plenty of leftovers for me,” Jongin smiled. 

Jongdae coughed, gaining both of their attention. He gave Kyungsoo an amused look, which was returned with a glare. 

“Why don’t we get started on dinner? After all, you guys have been working all day,” Jongdae said, pulling out a chair for Minseok to sit in.

“What are you doing?” Minseok asked, staring at his boyfriend. 

“What do you mean?”

“You pulled out my chair. You never act like a gentleman.”

“Can’t I do something nice for you?” Jongdae frowned. “Look, if you don’t want me to pull out your chair, I’ll push it back in.”

“No. Don’t do that.” Minseok frowned, before his eyes widened. “You’re hiding something.”

“What? No I’m not,” he denied. 

“What are you hiding?” He turned to look at Kyungsoo. “What’s he hiding? Did he do something before I got here?”

“He...cleaned his room?” Kyungsoo replied, unsure. He was too busy cooking he didn’t pay attention to what the other was doing. “And he’s not hungover anymore. So that’s a plus.”

“You’ve been drinking?” Minseok glared at his boyfriend. “When did this happen?”

Kyungsoo froze, not wanting to get his roommate into any more trouble. But he was also very interested to see where this would end up. He paused when Jongdae mouthed “fuck you” to him, making him smirk.

“Since Thursday night.” 

“YOU-”

“Is dinner ready?” Jiwon asked, patting Kyungsoo’s cheek. 

“Mhm. Why don’t you go wash your hands first. The bathroom is the first door on the right,” Kyungsoo replied, setting her down. “That goes for all of you. Go wash your hands.”

The others complied as Kyungsoo finished setting up two extra plates. Jiwon came back first, giggling as she flapped her hands to air dry them.

“You can sit right here,” Kyungsoo said, pulling out her chair. As she climbed on, he asked, ”What would you like to drink?”

“Water please!” 

Kyungsoo nodded and gave it to her, before sitting next to her, on the other side of the table. The others came back, Jongin sitting next to Jiwon, while Jongdae and Minseok sat together opposite of them.

“Dig in,” he said, gesturing towards the food. The first thing he did though, was scoop some spaghetti onto Jiwon’s plate, at the exact time Jongin handed her a bowl of rice with eggs. “Oh.”  
“I want to eat both!” Jiwon said, smiling at them. Luckily, she said it before Jongdae had noticed otherwise he would be making fun of them.

Kyungsoo gave Jongin a smile and started to eat.

“So, Minseok, why are you with Jongdae?” Kyungsoo asked. He winced when he felt a kick to his shin. “What? I live with you. I know your bad habits.”

“I actually find myself asking that question a lot as well,” Minseok said, laughing.

“Hey!” 

“What about you? Any special person in your life?” Minseok asked. 

Unnoticed by Kyungsoo, Jongin perked up a bit at the question, staring at the other for an answer.

“N-”

“Yep. A very special person in his life,” Jongdae said, wriggling his eyebrows. When Kyungsoo gave him a confused look, he continued, “Remember that love letter?”

“You mean the one you wrote when you were drunk?” Kyungsoo replied, raising an eyebrow. “He left it in the mailbox and everything. I found it yesterday. How did it go again? My little Soosoo, you’re my little booboo. You took my heart away, I think I might be gay. Soosoo, you’re making my heart do do’s, little flippity flops, I’ll touch your nose for a bop.”

“Oh my god,” Minseok whispered. Then he frowned and slapped the back of Jongdae’s head. “Why don’t you write me drunk love letters?”

“He kissed it as well. With lipstick and everything. I’ll send you the picture,” Kyungsoo smiled. 

“STOP IT!” Jongdae whined. 

“Do you do that often? When you’re drunk?” Jongin asked. 

“He usually just passes out, but he does tell all our friends he loves us,” Kyungsoo laughed. 

“Teacher Kyungsoo?” Jiwon asked. 

“What’s up? Do you want some more water?” Kyungsoo asked. 

“I’m full,” she said. He looked down and realized that her plate and bowl were empty. 

“Alright. Why don’t you go watch some TV?”

She nodded and he watched until she sat down on their sofa. 

“So, did Jiwon make her list yet?” Kyungsoo asked. He was wondering what the little girl wanted to do, since she could technically do anything she wanted. “What does a little girl want at that age though?”

“Her first demand was to go to Disneyland,” Jongin answered. “But that also means we’d probably have to spend the weekend there as well, so I’m a little hesitant. It takes about 16 hours on the plane, so the timing of it would be hard for you to be back at work on Monday.”

“Lucky for you, we have a four day weekend. It’s the day where the school gets checked whether it’s up to date with all the building codes or whatever. We have Thursday and Friday off, so we can leave on Wednesday afternoon,” Jongdae said, drinking some water.

Kyungsoo paused, his spoon halfway into his mouth. “What do you mean by ‘we?’” he asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“Minseok is going, so I am too,” Jongdae replied. 

“With what money? If I remember correctly, you only have $15 in your bank account right now,” Kyungsoo scoffed. 

“I’m paying for him,” Jongin piped up. When Kyungsoo gave him a questioning look, he continued, “Minseok asked for it instead of a Christmas bonus this year. Plus, I’m paying for yours as well.”

“You don’t have to,” Kyungsoo said. “I have enough money saved up to -”

“I won’t hear of it,” Jongin interrupted. “This situation is because of me. Think of this as a way to repay you for the hard work you’ve done.”

“I-”

“It would be rude to decline,” Jongin said, ending the conversation. 

Kyungsoo sagged in his seat, knowing that he’d never get his way. He sighed and continued eating, not really wanting to rely on the other. He already felt like a burden, having Jongin do this just so his daughter could be happy. 

“So, what’s Luhan going to do with that picture he took of me?” Kyungsoo asked, looking at Minseok.

“He’s a photographer, so he’ll most likely just keep it for inspiration,” Minseok replied.

“Inspiration?”

“Yeah, he makes a scrapbook of the things he thinks are aesthetic and shows them to his boyfriend, Oh Sehun. He’s a fashion designer in the company and usually creates clothes based on the scrapbook.”

“It’s really cute if you think about it. They work well together and are a cute couple,” Jongin piped in. “Plus I can’t really complain, since they bring in money.”

“Wait. Do you mean that Oh Sehun is going to create something based on what this guy wore to your company?” Jongdae asked. “Him? He wears like, black all the time. He wore fucking ruffled sleeves. Not to mention the - “

“Dude. That was a gift from my grandma. Plus I wore it ONCE, so she could see it. Even SHE agreed it was horrible and told me to trash it right after,” Kyungsoo retorted. 

“Plus, Kyungsoo’s fashion is quite something if Luhan liked it. He’s very picky about what he takes pictures with. And Sehun is even more so,” Jongin pointed out. 

“Hey, Minseok. Does Jongin ever go Meryl Streep on you? Like, in The Devil Wears Prada? I would love to throw things around,” Jongdae asked. “Tell people to do my dirty work.”

“You got the evil bitch part down,” Kyungsoo said lowly, as to not let Jiwon hear. Jongin and Minseok laughed, while Jongdae spluttered.

“That is not true!” Jongdae pouted. 

“Teacher Kyungsoo?” 

They all turned to look at Jiwon, who was tugging on Kyungsoo’s sleeve.

“I need to tell you something,” she said, pulling him down so she could whisper in his ear. “I need to use the toilet.”

Kyungsoo nodded and stood up, before leading her to the bathroom. 

“Don’t forget to wash your hands. There’s a little stool in there for you to stand on to reach the sink,” he explained. When she nodded, he closed the door behind her and waited. It didn’t take long for her to finish and they both headed back to the living room. 

Kyungsoo frowned as he took his seat at the dining table, realizing that they had all gone quiet.

“What were you talking about?” he asked, mainly looking at his roommate. He was pretty sure that Jongdae would bring up embarrassing stories to make him look stupid.

“Nothing,” Minseok replied quickly, shoving down some food. Kyungsoo didn’t miss the look he gave Jongin, who seemed to be blushing.

“Wh-”

“So, Minseok and I are going to look up tickets and book the hotel,” Jongin said. “We’ll be leaving Wednesday night, so please be packed by then.”

Kyungsoo nodded and, seeing as everyone had finished eating, went to wash the dishes. 

“Don’t worry,” Jongdae whispered, leaning closer to Jongin. “We’ve got your back.”

“What do you mean?” 

“As smart as he is, he’s kind of oblivious,” Minseok pointed out. “Jongin can’t really read in between the lines.

“So is he,” Jongdae replied, gesturing towards Kyungsoo. He turned back to Jongin. “You’ll end up together by the end of Disney. Bet.”

Jongin’s eyes widened when he realized what they were talking about. “W-wait. I don’t like-” he stammered, a blush coloring in his cheeks.

“Please. I see the w-”

“COME HELP ME CLEAN JONGDAE!” Kyungsoo yelled. 

Jongdae scurried to help Kyungsoo wash the dishes, a small meep falling from his mouth.

“It’s not that obvious, is it?” Jongin asked quietly, turning to look at Minseok.

His secretary raised an eyebrow and took out his phone, showing him the dozen of messages he sent to him about if he was really able to go, what he should wear, and how nervous he was.

Jongin coughed as his face turned even redder and avoided eye contact.

~

Kyungsoo grimaced when he saw Jongdae’s opened suitcase, clothes hanging all over the place. He carefully looked through it and sighed, seeing that the other hadn’t packed any sunblock, his passport, sunglasses, shoes/sandals. 

“This is all you’re packing?” Kyungsoo asked, turning to look at Jongdae. 

“All I need,” he replied, going back to his phone.

“You don’t have your phone charger, your passport, money, ID, laptop..” Kyungsoo trailed off.

“We’re going to Disneyland. I’m not gonna need that stuff,’ Jongdae scoffed. “I’m going to spend all day on the rides.”

“If that’s what you want.” He left the room and made sure that everything was turned off and locked. By the time he finished, he got a text from Minseok, telling him that they were out front. “They’re here!” 

Kyungsoo waited for Jongdae to head out first before closing the door behind him and checking the lock. Satisfied, he followed Jongdae to the elevator and a smile blossomed on his face when he saw Jiwon waving at them from the car.

“You’re so attached to her,” Jongdae said. 

“I can’t help it. She’s cute and I spend a lot of time with her. It’s hard not to when you get to know her,” Kyungsoo replied back. “And you know I love kids. I want my own someday.”

“Is that why you’ve been helping out at the orphanage? To have a good word with the workers and speed up the process?” Jongdae asked, opening the car trunk to put in their bags. 

“That’s part of the reason, but also because I feel like they need a good role model. They don’t have many people there who are constant in their lives and they need the stability,” Kyungsoo said. “Plus, I became attached when we first volunteered. You should come with me next time. Some of the kids ask about you too.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me about that earlier?” Jongdae asked, opening the door so that he and Kyungsoo could sit down. “I would have gone sooner if you told me.”

“Gone where?” Minseok asked, turning around in the front seat to look at them. “Hello, by the way.”

“Hey,” Kyungsoo responded, smiling at him. “Hi Jiwon. Are you excited?” 

“Mhm,” she replied, bouncing in her seat. “Teacher Kyungsoo, will you sit next to me on all the rides?”

Kyungsoo blinked, feeling a little happy that she wanted him to sit with her.

“Not all the rides,” Kyungsoo said. “Don’t you want to ride some with your dad? I think he might be a little lonely if you won’t.”

Jiwon paused and thought it over. It took some time, but she nodded. “I do.”

“I feel like I lost. My own daughter had to think about whether or not she wanted to sit with me,” Jongin sighed. 

“And whose fault is that?” Minseok muttered. 

“We were talking about the orphanage and Kyungsoo’s dream of having kids,” Jongdae said, answering Minseok’s earlier question. “We volunteered there when we were still in college. And he’s still been visiting them, but never told me that they missed me as well.”

“Because I know you don’t even like going there. You complain until we get there and when we leave you act like you did the greatest thing in the world. And at night you complain that you lost an hour of your day,” Kyungsoo retorted. 

“You made us go during finals! I could have been studying!”

“You NEVER study. You were just complaining about it while I read the notes to you. Oh my god,” Kyungsoo sighed. “Those were the days.”

“Which airline are we going with?” Jongdae asked, handing Jiwon a bottle of water. 

“My private one,” Jongin answered, looking at them from the rearview mirror. 

“Your…”

“My private plane? We’re taking it to LAX. Why?”

Jongdae stayed silent, the idea of being in a private plane was too surreal for him to speak.

“So Jiwon, do you have any rides you want to go on? Or any princess you want to meet?” Kyungsoo asked. 

“I want to see Rapunzel! And Mulan!” Jiwon said, giggling. “They’re my favorite. And I want to see Stitch! He’s so cute and fluffy!”

“Stitch is also one of my favorites. Do you want to know why?” Kyungsoo asked. When Jiwon shook her head, he continued. “It’s because everyone thought he was evil, and he was, in the beginning. But after having someone with him to teach him to be good and learn to love, he was able to change. Stitch just needed someone to show him how to love, and he became good. He wasn’t actually evil, he just didn’t know what good was.”

“Why are you making it so deep? She’s in kindergarten. Look at her, she’s so confused,” Jongdae scoffed. When Kyungsoo looked, Jiwon was indeed playing on her dad’s phone.

“If it makes you feel any better, Jongin’s favorite Disney character is Lilo,” Minseok piped in. “Because she didn’t give up on him and was persistent the whole time. Now, who wants to do some CAR KARAOKE!”

~

When they arrived at the airport, all of their throats were sore from their scream-singing. Luckily, they didn’t have to talk much as Jongin and Minseok led the way to the private plane. As they walked closer to the gate, Kyungsoo became more nervous. Though he had a passport, he had never been on a plane before. 

He tried to hide it, so that he wouldn’t ruin the trip. But as they walked past the agent into the little hallway to the plane, his hands started shaking a bit. 

“Are you excited Teacher Kyungsoo?” Jiwon asked. She grabbed his free hand and swung it back and forth. “This is my first time to Disneyland!”

“Yeah, I’m very excited,” Kyungsoo replied, hoping that she didn’t feel him shaking. 

They greeted the captain of the plane and entered the plane. 

“Woah.”

Kyungsoo and Jongdae stopped at the entrance, looking at the interior. The plane itself wasn’t that big, as there were only 5 recliners and a sofa that ran along the left side of the plane. The tables were foldable, pushed against the wall to save space. And the restroom had a full bath inside.

“Take a seat,” Minseok said, taking a seat by the window. Jongdae sat next to him, making the other three sit across from them. Jiwon sat by the window and Jongin let Kyungsoo sit in the middle so he could look out the window as well. 

The captain arrived to greet Jongin and introduce himself to the others; he told them if they needed anything to just ask. Then he smiled and walked to the front.

“We’ll be taking off soon. They just need to make sure everything is in order before we get off the ground,” Jongin explained. “Don’t forget to turn your phone onto airplane mode. And there is wifi here if you want.”

Kyungsoo nodded and tried to control his breathing, inhaling through his nose and out through the mouth. He tried to distract himself by playing with his fingers, but when the engine started, he couldn’t stop himself from flinching. 

“Are you nervous?” Jongin asked. 

“Um, just a little. It’s my first time on a plane,” Kyungsoo answered. Just then the plane started moving, making him squeeze his hands together. 

Though it didn’t seem like it was moving at all, Kyungsoo felt nauseous at the speed they were accelerating as they passed by the buildings and other planes. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to ignore everything that was happening around him. It was only when he felt someone hold his hand did he open his eyes.

“Jongin?” he asked, frowning as he looked at the hand in his. 

“It’s alright to be scared. I had to hold Jiwon’s hand the first time she went on a plane as well,” Jongin said, not meeting his eyes. “It helped her calm down because she realized that she’s not alone.”

Kyungsoo gave his hand a light squeeze. 

“Thank you.”

~

It was about ten minutes later when they were safely cruising in the air when they were able to take off their seatbelts.

Kyungsoo let out a breath of relief and quickly yanked his hand back, realizing how tight he had been holding Jongin’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I must have cut off the blood circulation.”

“It’s alright. You should see Jiwon. I have a scar from where her nail cut into me,” Jongin replied. He lifted his left hand and pointed to a small scar on the back of his hand. 

“It must have hurt a lot,” Kyungsoo muttered. 

“What are you looking at?” Jiwon asked. She had gotten out of her seat to stand in front of them. “Is something on daddy’s hand?”

Jongin held out his hand to show her. “This little scar right here.”

“I remember that!” Jiwon said. “We were going to..um...the place with people singing and dancing! There were a lot of buildings and it was very bright! And there was a very big park.”

“New York City,” Jongin nodded. “How can you remember that but not to brush your teeth at night?”

Jiwon giggled and shook her head before running away to hide somewhere on the plane.

“Did you have a hard time trying to get her ready for bed?” Jongin asked. 

“I didn’t actually,” Kyungsoo answered. “I would tell her that if she didn’t I’d have Baekhyun come over and watch her. She took it very seriously.”

“Baekhyun? But they love each other. Or at least they seem to whenever I come over,” Jongin frowned.

“Give them two hours and they’ll be at each other’s throats,” Kyungsoo said. “Trust me. Their screaming matches can get pretty bad.”

“Is something wrong Minseok?” 

The two both looked up to see Minseok frowning at something on his phone as Jongdae looked over his shoulder.

“I-that actually looks pretty good,” Jongdae said.

“What is it?” Kyungsoo got up to look as well when Minseok slammed his phone down onto his lap.

“Nothing,” he blurted. 

Deciding that it was better not to question it, Kyungsoo pulled out his laptop and started to look up rides they had at Disneyland. He’d like to be prepared and plan ahead so that they wouldn’t argue for which rides to go to when they were already there. 

“Um, are we going to both parks?” Kyungsoo asked, turning to look at Jongin. 

“Minseok?” 

“Yep. Both parks.”

“Yes,” Jongin repeated. He frowned and looked over to Kyungsoo’s laptop. “What’re you doing?”

“I’m going to make a list of rides we’re going to go on. Um, how many days are we going to be there? Like, are we just going to spend one day in Disney and then the rest of the days sightseeing?”

“Um…”

“We’re spending two days there. Two and a half maybe. Considering that we’ll get there at three in the morning, we’re going to be jet lagged. So we’ll probably spend the first half of the day sleeping. We could do the rest of the day at Downtown Disney. Do a little shopping there for Jiwon so we don’t spend time in the park when we could actually be on the rides,” Minseok said. 

“What rides would you like to go on?” Kyungsoo asked, looking at the list of rides. “There’s so many.”

“I like Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, and the Cars ride in California Adventure Land,” Jongin said.

“I want to go on the teacups and the water ride, Splash Mountain. And the Buzz Lightyear one,” Jongdae said. “My shooting skills will finally be put to use.”

“What about Soaring? And the Indiana ride!” Minseok chimed in.

“Jiwon? Do you want to go on any rides? Or meet any princesses?” Kyungsoo asked, looking around for the little girl.

It didn’t take long for a squeal to be heard, and the little girl showed up. 

“I want to go on the carousel. And the Haunted Mansion. Because I’m a big girl. Right?” Jiwon looked up at her dad and smiled when he nodded.

“Of course,” he said, smiling back.

~

When the plane landed, they quickly headed towards the hotel to rest. Being in a private plane didn’t mean it was easy to sleep. They found that out pretty quick when Jiwon became cranky from lack of sleep. 

They had booked two rooms, one with a single master bed, and the other with two double twin beds. Jongdae and Minseok got the master bed while the other three would room together. 

Kyungsoo put Jiwon down, who had finally fallen asleep on the elevator ride up, and tucked her in before helping Jongin bring in the luggage. 

“Sorry that you had to carry Jiwon in,” Jongin said. 

“It’s fine. I don’t think I would have been able to have brought in the suitcases,” Kyungsoo replied. “You can use the bathroom first.”

Jongin thanked him and went in, letting Kyungsoo take the chance to look around the room. He was amazed by how expensive the snacks were. He didn’t think that they were worth it, so he avoided the mini bar. Then he looked behind the curtains to see what kind of view they had and gaped as he could see how big the park was. 

He jumped away from the curtains when he heard the door open and tried to act nonchalant. 

“Are you excited for tomorrow?” Jongin asked, wiping his face with a small towel.

“Yeah. I’ve never been to an amusement park before. Not even to Lotte World,” Kyungsoo admitted. 

“Would you like to go one day?” 

Kyungsoo turned to look at him, making Jongin blush.

“Jiwon has a pass to go in. And it lets her bring in one guest as well. If you’d like, you can take her there when we get back. I usually don’t have enough time to take her the whole day,” Jongin said. “It was also for her mom to take her if she ever came, but it never happened.”

“Can I ask you something personal?” Kyungsoo asked. When Jongin nodded, he continued, “Why did you put occupation before Jiwon? After everything with the divorce…”

Jongin sighed.

“I didn’t mean to intrude,” Kyungsoo rushed, blushing. “It’s just that...you seem to love her very much, but from the very beginning it was like she didn’t exist.”

“It’s a very long story,” Jongin said. “It’s not because you’re not minding your business. When my wife and I first got married, I had just opened Kai. It was a very small business and we weren’t making a lot of money. My wife came from a rich family, so she was used to having everything at the palm of her hand. But the business wasn’t doing very well and money became tight. Her parents didn’t approve of me and cut her off. After a year or so, she was pregnant. We were happy, but we still had money problems. That’s when I met Sehun and Luhan. They were still rookies, but had amazing skills.”

“I met Luhan the other day, right?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Yeah. They brought in customers and endorsers. We were lucky to have found them,” Jongin continued. “The company grew big and money came in. Then, Jiwon was born. Money was still tight, but we were able to spend a little more leisurely. Her parents were happy to have a grandchild and contacted us. I was skeptical at first, but my wife accepted them with open arms, so I didn’t say anything. Everything fell apart after Jiwon became three. It started before that, but it was the little things. A weekend getaway here, a Gucci bag there, Tory Burch sandals there. I just thought she needed some time to herself. I took care of Jiwon and brought her to work with me. It wasn’t until Sehun pointed out that the company was turning into a daycare that I realized she was gone for a month.”

“A whole month?” Kyungsoo asked, horrified a mother would leave their child alone like that.

“Yeah. And I was so busy with work I didn’t realize how often I was watching Jiwon. I talked to my wife about it and she said she didn’t see the problem since I was taking care of her. She just kept leaving and I didn’t know what to do.She came home less and less and I had enough. She was gone for so long by the time she came back I had the divorce papers ready.”

“Was she surprised?” 

“Of course. After all, she was just copying her parents. Dad works all day and mom goes shopping. A typical rich family. But I didn’t want that for Jiwon. I wanted her to have a stable family. I didn’t want her to grow up and ask why mommy was never home. I’d rather have her gone before Jiwon could understand. She agreed to it in the end, but then came the custody battle. Luckily, the judge sided with me after seeing how attached she was to me and how often my wife was away; but she tried to prolong it as long as possible, which was why it blew up. Especially with her parents getting involved.

“I took care of her well at first, took her to Daddy and Me classes, gave her ballet lessons, let her play with the cameras,” Jongin continued. “But as time went on, the company started doing bad. I had to end up spending more time at work than with Jiwon because I didn’t want her to go through what I did when the company first started. Eating every other day, having three different pairs of clothes, crashing at friend’s houses. I threw myself into work this past year, and Minseok said that Jiwon was being taken care of. I didn’t realize you weren’t being compensated, so for that I apologize.”

“It’s alright. I accepted your apology before,” Kyungsoo said, smiling.

“I just wanted what was best for her, but I didn’t see how I slowly started to become my wife. That’s why when I saw you the first time, you reminded me of how I was when I first got divorced. I remembered why I was working so hard and when I woke up the next day and saw her dancing along to a kpop group, I realized I didn’t need to work so hard anymore. Thank you for reminding me what’s important,” Jongin said. “You must be tired. Why don’t you get some rest?”

“Thank you for telling me,” Kyungsoo said before walking into the bathroom. Once he closed the door, he leaned against it, thinking about what he had just heard. He didn’t realize how unfortunate Jongin had been until then. What he must have gone through for the sake of his daughter’s happiness. And when he thought of how big his smile was when he was playing with Jiwon, he realized that he wanted to see it again.

~

“Woah! It’s packed for a Friday,” Jongdae said, looking at the long lines. “Like, don’t the kids have school or something?”

“Disneyland or school? Which would you choose?” Minseok asked. 

“You’re right. But still, we were the first ones in and there’s already an hour long line for all the rides.”

“We can get a fastpass to Space Mountain, then do the teacups. That has the shortest wait time right now,” Kyungsoo said, looking at the times on his phone. Everyone agreed and they headed towards Tomorrowland, Jiwon holding both Kyungsoo and Jongin’s hand.

Luckily, Jiwon was tall enough to go on the ride with them as long a she was sitting next to Jongin. Then they went to Fantasyland for the teacups which made everyone dizzy. By the time they got off, the line for the carousel was short; so Kyungsoo, Jongin and Jiwon went on while the other two stayed put to take pictures. Somehow, Kyungsoo was forced to sit on an animal, making him embarrassed as he was the only adult, but Jiwon’s laughter made up for it. She thought it was hilarious how Kyungsoo was sitting on the horse when everyone else that was riding were children. Though it was a simple ride for her, she was able to enjoy it with her two favorite people in the world. 

Since they were in the area as well, they bought Jiwon a Rapunzel costume, although not the wig. The moment Jiwon saw it, she knew she had to have it. She tugged on her dad’s shirt and pointed at it. But when he shook his head no, her lip started wobbling.

“Why can’t I have it?” she asked, tears gathering in her eyes. “I thought you said I could buy one costume.”

“It’s because we have something for you,” Kyungsoo answered. He was holding something in his hands. “Open it.”

She ripped the bag open and let out a squeal when she saw the purple dress. She jumped up and down, thanking the four adults. Jongin laughed and took her to the restroom so she could change into it. When she came out, they all clapped and aahed, as if she was an actual princess.

Next was Splash Mountain. It was funny how Jiwon was scared at the drop, yet demanded to go again for a better picture after seeing her screaming face. The line wasn’t short, so they promised to come back to it later. 

Right next to Splash Mountain was the Winnie the Pooh ride and Minseok, being a big fan of Winnie, asked to go on. The wait was only five minutes and it looked cute as well, so they went on, chattering about how wet Jongdae got from sitting in the front and who screamed the loudest. 

When they got into the honey pot carts, Kyungsoo sat alone as they only allowed two people per cart. He wasn’t really amused until he heard Jiwon scream. Apparently, the white part on her shoe was glowing. They all laughed seeing how happy she was just by looking at her glowing shoes. She asked them why it lit up and they didn’t know what to answer. Although Minseok said that it might be a special light that makes it light up, like how the characters lit up so much as well.

At the end of the ride, they asked the worker there why it glowed in the dark, but all she said was that it was part of the magic with a sly smile on her face.

When they finished the ride, it was around noon, so they decided to get lunch. After asking around, they found the best place to eat was on Main Street. There was a restaurant that served chicken and pasta, which was great for them as they wanted carbs and protein. Not to mention that both Jiwon and Jongin were big chicken lovers.

They spent an hour there, trying to rest their tired feet. However, the parade was starting soon and they decided not to watch as it would be too crowded. 

After resting, they headed back to Tomorrowland for the Buzz Lightyear ride. Jongdae ended up winning, but got scolded by Minseok for playing too many video games. Then they headed over to Space Mountain for their allotted fast pass time and ended up buying the picture because of how cute Jiwon looked. She was holding onto both Kyungsoo and Jongin’s arm, with her face scrunched up in a scream while the two were laughing their heads off. Minseok and Jongdae were sitting behind them, doing a heart pose together. 

They then made their way over to New Orleans Square to go in the Haunted Mansion, which only had a 15 minute wait time. When they got there, the time had gone down to five minutes, which basically meant they went in straight away, though they were the last ones to be permitted entry until the next group.

Everything went fine until the floor moved down (or the walls went up) as Kyungsoo wasn’t prepared and lost his balance, but luckily he ended up leaning on the floor. Apparently, the same thing had happened to Jongin as he ended up in front of him, pinning him to the wall. He heard Jongdae say something in the background, but he was too close to Jongin to notice anything else. 

“Um, sorry,” Jongin said, pushing away from him. However, the room was too crowded for him to move away and he was stuck in that position. 

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault,” Kyungsoo replied. He tried to keep his eyes down, not wanting to look at the other straight in the face. 

“I was wondering,” Jongin said, licking his lips while he stared at the shorter. “Since you asked me a question yesterday, if I could ask you a question today.”

Kyungsoo thought about it and decided it was fair, so he nodded his head. 

Jongin opened his mouth, but the secret door opened, leading them to the actual ride itself. On the way there, Minseok found the two and said that Jiwon wanted to ride with Jongdae and him, allowing them to talk privately. 

“Would you like to ask 10 questions each?” Jongin asked. “I believe it’ll be easier that way.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “You start.”

“Why did you take care of Jiwon?” Jongin asked. “You are her teacher, but I don’t think I’d have ever met someone who would do the same.”

“I know what it’s like to be left alone a lot as a kid, and I guess seeing her go through the same thing made me want to help her,” Kyungsoo said, sitting in the cart. “Do you regret your decision of leaving your wife?”

“I think about that a lot actually. I always wonder if it was the best decision and even now when things are stable, money is constant and Jiwon is happy, I wonder if I had waited that things would go back to normal. But I need to stop focusing on the past and plan for the future,” Jongin answered, pulling the bar down to their laps. He thanked the worker and the ride went off. “Plus I got to meet you. I mean, without you, I don’t think Jiwon would be who she is today. And with her happy, I’m happy. Next question,” he rushed, pretending he didn’t see Kyungsoo blush, “do you think you’re an inspiring person?”

“I would like to think so. I hope that I inspire the children that I teach everyday to do well and be kind to others. Why do you ask?”

“That’s going to count as a question,” Jongin said, teasing him.

“Wait! I’ll change it. Um, favorite food that I made for you to eat?” Kyungsoo asked.

“That’s difficult, they’re all so good,” Jongin said. At that moment, the carts stopped and a voice announced that something had come up, but to remain in their seats. “But I think my favorite is the kimchi spaghetti. Have you ever fallen in love?”

“Oh.” Kyungsoo paused, thinking it over. Jongin watched him carefully, as he played with his fingers. “I don’t think I have, yet, but I hope I will soon. I think I’ve even met the person already.”

“I see,” Jongin said slowly, processing his words.

“My question this time is, have you fallen in love? After your wife I mean,” Kyungsoo rushed. “You don’t have to answer, I was just curious.”

“Since you answered mine, I’ll answer yours. I have. I haven’t confessed to him yet, but I think I will soon,” Jongin said. “What would you say if the person you think you’ll fall in love with asks you out?”

“I’ll say yes. But that’s IF he asks me out,” Kyungsoo replied. “When will you ask out this person?”

“That’s a surprise,” Jongin said. “How has the day been so far?” 

“It’s been fun, but I think I spent a little too much time with Jongdae. I’m starting to hate him again,” Kyungsoo sighed. 

“Hate him?” Jongin frowned. He thought they were best friends.

“Yeah. I have a certain tolerance for him. I can only spend so much time with him before he annoys me to my breaking point. We live together, but we have our own separate rooms. But two full days with him and no break? He’d end up dead if this wasn’t Disneyland.”

“Happiest place on Earth. You can’t kill him here,” Jongin joked. The ride had started moving again, and the cheers of the other passengers could be heard.

“I have two questions now since you asked two,” Kyungsoo said. “Um, what’s your favorite part of today?” 

“Seeing Jiwon laugh on the carousel. I hadn’t seen her smile like that in so long,” Jongin answered. “And the chicken. The chicken was very good.”

“I see. You and your daughter with the chicken. I need to introduce you to new food. You can’t live off of chicken forever,” Kyungsoo scolded. “My second question is is Disneyland everything you expected from it? The magic, happiest place and all that?”

They were near the end of the ride and they were facing a mirror that showed a ghost sitting in between them.

Jongin laughed. “Um, not yet, but it might be if the next part goes right.”

“Next part?”

“You’ll see.”

When they got off, they blinked at the harsh sunlight. They thanked the worker and walked out of the mansion.

“Where are the others?” Kyungsoo asked, looking around. “I swear they were in front of us.”

“I think I see them over there. By the water fountain,” Jongin said, grabbing Kyungsoo’s hand and pulling him. 

“Where? I can’t see anything,” Kyungsoo complained. His short stature didn’t help him see over the tall crowd. 

But when they reached the fountain, no one was there except the few people leaning against the bar to rest. 

“I swear I could have seen them here,” Jongin muttered. “Might as well wait here.” 

He leaned against the bar and Kyungsoo followed suit. 

“What did you mean by the next part earlier?” Kyungsoo asked. 

“Oh, that. Well, I wanted to get a shirt. But I couldn’t find it in my size. I was hoping if I could find it here,” Jongin said.

“Teacher Kyungsoo!” 

They both turned to see Jiwon running up to them, a white shirt covering her Rapunzel dress. Kyungsoo bent down and caught her, lifting her to his hip.

“Did you have fun on the ride?” he asked, looking to see if she was alright. That was when he noticed her shirt. “Oh,” he said quietly. He looked around and saw Jongin looking at him nervously.

“Well?” he asked. 

“I didn’t expect it to be like this,” Kyungsoo said, tugging at Jiwon’s shirt which read ‘Will you date my daddy? <3’ on it. “But it’s cute and Jiwon is involved. So my answer is yes.”

“Really?” Jiwon said, patting his cheek. “You’re going to date my daddy?”

Kyungsoo nodded and kissed her head.

“Does that mean you’re my mommy now?”

Kyungsoo choked on his spit.

“No, he’s not,” Jongin answered. “But he might be in a couple of years.”

“Yah! At least say I’ll be papa,” Kyungsoo grumbled, hitting Jongin on the arm. “Why do I have to have a feminine name?”

“You’re fighting over something that may not even happen in the future? C’mon, we’re at Disneyland. Let’s go!” Jongdae complained, pushing them towards the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Minseok appeared and held out the fast passes for Splash Mountain, so they could get a better photo for Jiwon.

“I would like my Christmas bonus for helping you,” Minseok said, running ahead to join Jongdae.

“Should I give it to him or not?” Jongin asked, turning to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo took Jongin’s hand in his and swung it. “He got us together. Give it to him.”

Jongin smiled down at him as they continued through the happiest place on Earth.

~

“I’m sorry if I’m bothering you,” a teenage girl asked. “But can I take a picture with you?”

They were sitting at the gate of their plane, which was getting fueled. Kyungsoo was leaning against Jongin with Jiwon on his lap.

“Um, sure,” he said, standing up. He placed Jiwon onto Jongin’s lap and stood next to the girl. She pulled out her phone and took a few selfies with him before thanking him. “May I ask why you want a picture of me?”

“Because you’re the model D.O,” she answered. When he still looked confused, she pulled out her phone again and looked something up. She held it out to show him a picture. “This is you, right?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. “Oh, it is. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize my picture would actually get published.”

The girl laughed and thanked him again before leaving.

“What was that?” Jongin asked, turning to Kyungsoo.

“Apparently Sehun liked my outfit more than I thought. The picture Luhan took of me is posted online,” Kyungsoo said. “How did that happen? Don’t these things need to be approved? Plus Jiwon is in the photo. Did you want her to be online?”

“Yes,” Jongin answered. “But I haven’t been checking my emails lately. The one who would have approved it would be...Minseok. He let Jiwon ”

“Um, Minseok?” Jongdae said, feeling a burning stare at the back of his head. “I think you need to run.”

“Why?” 

“I think Kyungsoo found out about the picture and if he did, you might be dead.”

“What do you me-AARGH!”

“KIM MINSEOK YOU’RE A DEAD MAN!”

“At least you got a happy ending, right?” Jongdae said, nudging Jongin.

Jongin didn’t answer as he hugged Jiwon tighter to him, as she stared at the picture of him, Kyungsoo and herself on the carousel.

“Yeah,” he agreed quietly.


End file.
